GARDENING
Winter is planting time for dormant perennials so over the past few weeks I’ve been planting. Top of my list has been herbaceous peonies (paeonia officinalis) as I love their large blousy flowers. My plantings are re-homings from a cut-flower grower so I am hoping they may flower later this year.
Herbaceous peonies flower in late spring and early summer and love our cool Tassie climate. They can be tricky to establish as these show ponies of the plant world like the best of everything: full sun; deep, fertile soils; regular summer watering; and protection from harsh winds.
To prepare for planting the dormant peony tubers, I dug the soil, adding well-rotted aged manure and compost and removing weeds and miscellaneous plants. The idea is to prepare the soil well as peonies grow without disturbance for years. They prefer a neutral soil pH (around 6-7) so in areas with very acidic soil, work in a little lime before planting.
Herbaceous peonies are often grown as a border planting so allow plenty of space between each plant and between the new peonies and other plantings. Give them at least 60cm so the peony has room to grow to full size. Remember the plants grow 30-60cm high so they need room to go up as well as out.
When placing the tubers into the prepared soil, keep the “eyes” (red growth buds) close to the surface with just a light 3-5cm covering of soil. When they are planted too deeply, they produce leaves but may fail to flower so position the peony with the eyes at the top and the thick rhizome planted into the soil.
Lightly spread organic mulch around the planting area to keep weeds down. As spring and summer return, mulch also helps keep the soil cool. Water well after planting and when the plants are growing and flowering.
On-going care
Shoots should appear in late winter or early spring. Keep an eye on emerging shoots to avoid damaging them with overzealous cultivation and to know when to start watering.
Even though I have my fingers crossed for flowers, peonies can take several years to bloom. As the large double blooms are heavy they often need support. As stakes look ugly and may damage the rhizome, use a metal perennial plant support to keep the longawaited blooms from bending to the ground. Position the legs of the plant support away from the tuber.
Deadhead spent blooms but leave the attractive foliage to flourish through summer. This is also the time to give the plants a little organic fertiliser. Don’t overdo it or worry if you forget, they seem to thrive regardless.
As autumn approaches the leaves become tinged with red tones before they die back. Cut back dying leaves and stems in late autumn as part of the autumn garden tidy-up.
While peonies can be difficult to grow and flower, there are few pests or diseases that attack peonies.
Good growth is really about providing the best growing conditions and good flowering is about the plants getting that vital winter chilling so flower buds are initiated.